Therapy 101
A general term referring to therapeutic approaches aimed at treating mental health disorders or emotional difficulties through communication and interaction between a trained therapist and a client.
Psychotherapy
A specific type of exposure therapy involving gradual exposure to feared stimuli while learning relaxation techniques to reduce anxiety
Systematic Desensitization
The study of how medications affect mental processes, behavior, and emotions, often used in conjunction with therapy for treating mental health disorders.
Psychopharmacology
Treatment approaches that involve medications or medical procedures to address psychological disorders, focusing on biological factors influencing mental health.
Biomedical Therapy
A behavior therapy technique associating an unwanted behavior with an unpleasant stimulus to decrease the likelihood of that behavior occurring.
Aversive Conditioning
Surgical procedures targeting specific brain areas to treat severe mental health conditions when other treatments have not been effective.
Psychosurgery
Therapeutic approaches that aim to increase self-awareness and understanding of one's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to facilitate psychological growth and healing.
Insight Therapies
A goal-oriented therapeutic approach combining cognitive and behavioral techniques to address and modify dysfunctional thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT
A medical treatment involving controlled electrical stimulation of the brain to induce a seizure, used primarily for severe depression and certain other mental health conditions.
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
Developed by Carl Rogers, a humanistic approach emphasizing empathy, unconditional positive regard, and genuineness in the therapeutic relationship to promote self-exploration and personal growth.
Client-Centered Therapy
A cognitive-behavioral therapy emphasizing identifying and challenging irrational beliefs and replacing them with rational thoughts and coping strategies.
Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
A now-outdated form of psychosurgery involving severing connections in the brain's prefrontal cortex, once used for severe mental illnesses but discontinued due to ethical concerns and the availability of safer treatments.
Lobotomy
A behavior therapy technique exposing clients to anxiety-provoking stimuli in a controlled and gradual manner to reduce fear and anxiety responses.
Exposure Therapy
A behavior therapy technique involving pairing a desired behavior with a positive stimulus to replace an unwanted behavior associated with a negative stimulus.
Counterconditioning
A non-invasive brain stimulation technique using magnetic fields to modulate brain activity, used as a treatment for depression and other disorders.
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)